In Still Standing season 9, Multiple restaurant owners have reported issues with one or more staff members at their establishment, prompting them to hire Charles as an investigator.
Vic Parrino of Los Angeles-based Colombo’s Italian Steakhouse is concerned that his staff are too often bickering. Charles hires Mystery Diners as an undercover waiter and customer to investigate, who discover that employee Dayna is falsifying Employee of the Month competition entries.
| Episode | Location | Issues Investigated |
|---|---|---|
| Episode 1 (Colombo’s Italian Steakhouse) | Colombo’s Italian Steakhouse (Los Angeles) | Staff bickering, Employee of the Month competition fraud |
| Episode 2 (Bella Luna Cafe) | Bella Luna Cafe (Easton, Pennsylvania) | Delivery service issues, customer complaints, staff confrontations |
| Episode 3 (Pips on La Brea) | Pips on La Brea (Los Angeles) | Employee issues – valet driver and delivery driver concerns |
| Episode 4 (Jed) | Unspecified Restaurant | College-enrolled waiter’s lack of professionalism, employee termination |
| Episode 5 (Rhythm Kitchen) | Rhythm Kitchen (Unspecified Location) | Decline in wine sales, sommelier misconduct, staff outrage, sommelier termination |
| Episode 6 (Redballs Rock & Roll Pizza) | Redballs Rock & Roll Pizza (Moorpark, California) | Manager giving away free food and beverages, employee scam, manager termination |
| Episode 7 (Falls Taproom) | Falls Taproom (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) | Bartender rudeness, rule violations, chef stealing money, staff confrontations |
| Episode 8 (YMCA Sting) | YMCA (Unspecified Location) | Sting operation involving untrustworthy or malicious intentions in purchasing the business |
| Episode 9 (Tehran) | Tehran, Iran | Ambitious assassination plan in Tehran fails |
Bella Luna Cafe
Rosaria Scollo’s Bella Luna Cafe receives the Kitchen Nightmares treatment in this episode. Charles Stiles works to uncover issues with Rosaria’s delivery service by gathering reviews from previous diners – many allege they saw a fly in their soup or received sour cannoli; staff are defensive when queried by Charles and Mystery Diners about this, leading them back into the control room where there’s a confrontation with Charles, Mystery Diners and Grumpy Tom (from their perspective), with Sean Haplin being singled out as being responsible.
On relaunch night, Ramsay invites customers back into his restaurant to see all of the changes. Neutral base colors have been brightened up with red benches adding a pop of color. A new POS system has also been installed while the menu has been reduced; staff are more friendly in front of the house while Gianfranco takes charge in the kitchen; however, they are overwhelmed by tickets and fall behind on deliveries, prompting Gordon to give them a warning; eventually, they manage to catch up.
Bella Luna Cafe of Easton Pennsylvania closed for good as of 2022; however, another establishment could potentially open at this location; currently listed for rent with Remax.
Pips on La Brea
Mid-City Los Angeles offers this cozy and elegant spot, known by owner Derrick Pipkin as The Pig Pen, that serves a selection of food, beverages, and entertainment. His staff continually implements new strategies in order to expand their business and offer great dining experiences for their patrons.
Charles works with restaurant owners or operators(s) from a control room located either within an isolated section of their establishment or nearby space rented specifically for this sting operation. Undercover team members known as Mystery Diners have been trained to act like regular customers while charting service quality, food quality and overall operations of an establishment; their presence often interrupts Charles’ surveillance work due to queries or comments.
George Sarkis of a restaurant has received complaints regarding Rob, one of his substitute valet drivers, and Dylan, one of its delivery drivers. To investigate these claims, George sent Mystery Diners Hank and Tracy as customers to pose as customers posing as customers to investigate if these individuals are actually doing their jobs properly; during their investigation they discovered Rob rummaging through cars looking for exposed cash as well as Dylan taking off for deliveries without customers in his Bentley car.
Jed, a college-enrolled waiter, fails to take his job seriously and parties off-site instead, leading the owner of the restaurant, Johnny Persico, and his manager Jill to fire him from his position.
Rhythm Kitchen
Once ELV visited Rhythm Kitchen several years ago, he mentally crossed it off his list. With its overwhelming size and varied menu combining Thai, Hawaiian and steak house fare, Rhythm Kitchen seemed likely to disappoint him.
Owner Scott Ghormley hires Charles to investigate why wine sales at his restaurant have declined. Charles deploys Mystery Diners Chelsea and Hollie undercover, who discover that Sommelier Faz is making customers angry by pushing low-quality wines on them, taking kickbacks from distributors, and charging sales directly into his personal account – actions which triggered staff outrage and ultimately his termination for being rude, taking money illegally and making employees feel uncomfortable.
At Redballs Rock & Roll Pizza in Moorpark, California, owners David and Rhonda Vieira discover that manager Jesse has taken advantage of live bands performing there by giving away free pizza and beverages to customers on band nights. Charles sends in Mystery Diners Amber and Grant undercover to uncover this scam by having wait staff ring up slices as light beer under false pretense of paying the bands with these cover charges he calls “cover charges.” After being caught red-handed Jesse is fired due to theft as well as withholding payments to them from both.
At Falls Taproom in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, owner Marvin Graaf hears reports of bartender Jessica being rude to customers and not abiding by rules at her job. Charles sends Mystery Diners Miranda and Kevin out to investigate, discovering that it was true and Joe (head chef ) had been stealing money by purchasing non-organic fish at discount and passing off cheap carp as Chilean sea bass; therefore being fired due to being rude, lying, and taking money from his employees.
YMCA
Stiles typically conducts his restaurant sting operations at the YMCA. An undercover team member poses as a waiter or similar position and engages in several tests with an owner of an establishment, showing they were either untrustworthy or had malicious intentions in purchasing the business.
Conclusion
One of the season’s most dramatic episodes features Saul hatching an ambitious scheme to get Brody to Tehran and assassinate General Akbari of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Unfortunately, however, nothing goes according to plan; his plan was quickly dismantled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and failed.
